Key Facts
| St Paul's Prep School 7+ group assessment | Half-day, groups of approximately ten: Maths lesson, English lesson, group problem-solving (Source: https://www.stpaulsschool.org.uk/admissions/entry-to-st-pauls-7-8/selection-procedure/) |
|---|---|
| Westminster Under School 7+ second round | About 120 children are invited back for classroom activities and an interview (Source: https://www.westminster.org.uk/admissions/7-entry-westminster-under-school/) |
| Alleyn's Junior School and Alleyn's Oakfield | 4+: about 36 children join two Reception classes; 7+: about 8 to 10 new places; applications in the autumn before entry, assessments in January (Source: https://www.alleyns.org.uk/admissions/admissions-to-our-junior-schools) |
| Latymer Prep School 7+ papers | English Comprehension 45 minutes, Creative Writing 35 minutes, Maths 40 minutes; interview for selected children the week after (Source: https://www.latymerprep.org/admissions/preparing-for-assessment) |
| UCS Junior Branch 7+ | Main entry point; about 60 boys join three classes, roughly half from the Pre-Prep; January assessment lasts about three hours (Source: https://www.ucs.org.uk/admissions/admissions-process/year-3/) |
| Highgate Junior School 7+ tests | Written tests in English and Mathematics of 50 minutes each (Source: https://www.highgateschool.org.uk/junior-school/admissions-7/) |
| ISEB Common Pre-Tests | Four adaptive online tests (English, maths, verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning) taking 2 hours 15 minutes in total (Source: https://www.iseb.co.uk/assessments/common-pre-tests/for-families/) |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
7+ reasoning tests appear on the admissions pages of St Paul's Prep School, Westminster Under School and Alleyn's Junior School, whilst the pages for Latymer Prep School, UCS Junior Branch and Highgate Junior School describe English and Maths papers without mentioning reasoning. Where reasoning is included, Westminster Under School describes verbal and non-verbal reasoning as thinking skills, and it is the school that addresses preparation for reasoning most directly, saying that no preparation is needed.
Parents of a child in Year 1 to Year 3 will find the schools describe reasoning in very different amounts of detail, from a comprehension and vocabulary element inside one school's paper to a single line naming the subject. Where a page is silent, it means the information is not published there, and the school's own admissions page is the document to check for each school on your list.
Which schools include reasoning in the 7+ assessment?
St Paul's Prep School, Westminster Under School and Alleyn's Junior School name reasoning in their 7+ assessments. St Paul's Prep School sets written tests in English, Mathematics and Reasoning for all applicants, and Westminster Under School lists Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning alongside English and Mathematics. Alleyn's Junior School and Alleyn's Oakfield assess candidates in English, mathematics and reasoning, with the same process and standard at both schools; a candidate who wants both sits one assessment at one location with one registration process.
The pages for Latymer Prep School, UCS Junior Branch and Highgate Junior School do not mention reasoning. Latymer Prep School lists three formal papers: English Comprehension, Creative Writing and Maths. UCS Junior Branch describes listening and discussion exercises and a reading assessment in the autumn term, then English and Maths tests, and its page mentions neither a reasoning paper nor a formal interview. Highgate Junior School describes written tests in English and Mathematics devised and marked by its own teachers. Confirm with the school before assuming a paper is absent.
What do verbal and non-verbal reasoning mean at 7+?
Westminster Under School describes verbal and non-verbal reasoning as thinking skills, and its page gives no breakdown of question types. The pages that name reasoning at St Paul's Prep School and Alleyn's give none either, so each school's own materials are the guide to what a paper contains. St Paul's Prep School says it does not publish past papers, and it links a suggested reading list together with Maths and English guidance for 7+.
Westminster candidates take the tests in small groups in classrooms with at least two staff present, with breaks for the bathroom and a snack, and the school describes the day as informal and friendly. A second day resembles a typical school morning with games, an outdoor break and a snack, and the Master and a senior team member invite candidates to talk about their own interests and enthusiasms; quieter children are assessed on the same basis.
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Enquire about this tutorWhat are the comprehension and vocabulary elements in St Paul's reasoning paper?
St Paul's Prep School places a comprehension exercise inside its Reasoning paper, assessing the ability to retrieve information and draw inferences from a text. Boys are also asked to recognise the meaning of words and to apply vocabulary knowledge when solving puzzles. Reading and word meaning therefore sit within the Reasoning paper itself, alongside the separate English and Maths tests.
The separate English paper is a dictation exercise, in which boys are expected to write reasonably neatly, applying grammar, punctuation and spelling and checking their writing for accuracy in line with top-end KS1 expectations. The school's guidance says the English paper incorporates the Year 2 programme of study, that it hopes applicants are working at a Greater Depth standard within Year 2, and that the paper may include aspects of word reading and comprehension from the Year 3 programme of study.
How is age taken into account in 7+ reasoning?
St Paul's Prep School says its Reasoning tasks are weighted according to age. Alleyn's Junior School says some elements of its 7+ assessment are standardised and that relative age is considered. Neither page states which elements are standardised or how the weighting is applied, and the 7+ descriptions for Westminster Under School, Latymer Prep School, UCS Junior Branch and Highgate Junior School do not mention age weighting or standardisation. If age handling matters to your decision, ask the school directly, since the pages leave the detail unpublished.
Is there a non-verbal reasoning test in a second stage?
Alleyn's Junior School and Alleyn's Oakfield include a non-verbal reasoning test in a second assessment held in January, for candidates who show the necessary academic potential. The first stage covers English, with comprehension and creative writing, mathematics, and reasoning. The second assessment adds a reading test, small group activities and an individual interview alongside the non-verbal reasoning test, so reasoning features at both stages for candidates who are invited back. Pages for the other schools describe no separate non-verbal test at a later stage.
How is 7+ reasoning different from the ISEB Common Pre-Tests used at 11+?
ISEB Common Pre-Tests are four multiple-choice, adaptive, online tests in English, mathematics, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, used for Year 7 entry, whereas each 7+ school sets its own papers. In an adaptive test, children are presented with questions based on their previous answers, and results are age-standardised so that appropriate comparisons can be made between younger and older applicants.
Most children sit the Pre-Tests in Year 6 for Year 7 (11+) entry, and some schools use them for Year 9 (13+) entry. A child's results can be accessed by all of the senior schools that require them. ISEB's pages do not describe a Pre-Test at 7+, and schools admitting at 7+ set their own assessments, as the school pages above show. ISEB recommends its free Pre-Tests Admissions Toolkit for families, which is the place to look for 11+ detail.
How much preparation does 7+ reasoning need?
Westminster Under School says no preparation is needed for the reasoning papers, though familiarity with the format may help. It adds that reasoning practice books are widely available but excessive practice is not recommended, and it advises parents to avoid outside tuition, which it feels can dull the freshness and eagerness to learn that it values. The school says it looks for potential and natural ability, and for a spark and a passion for something.
Latymer Prep School advises that parental preparation should be low-key and the child's routine as normal as possible, with favourite activities kept up because they help wellbeing; it sums this up as a need for balance and gives no advice about tutoring. Highgate Junior School suggests practising with its published sample English and Maths questions and watching the explanatory video it sends, and says it aims to make the day as fun and stress-free as possible.
What can parents do to prepare for 7+ reasoning?
Parents of a child in Year 1 to Year 3 can start by reading the admissions page of each school on the list to see whether reasoning is named, then contacting the school where a page is silent. After that, the steps below fit the guidance the schools publish and keep preparation light.
One-to-one help is one option some families use alongside school and home practice, and the guidance each school gives above is worth reading before deciding.
- Use the material the schools provide: the exemplar Maths and English papers Latymer Prep School sends after registration, Highgate Junior School's sample questions and video, and the reading list and guidance linked by St Paul's Prep School.
- Read together and ask questions that need information found in the text and meanings worked out from it, which matches the retrieval and inference skills in St Paul's comprehension exercise.
- Talk about the meaning of unfamiliar words as they come up, since St Paul's asks boys to apply vocabulary knowledge when solving puzzles.
- Keep weekly routines and favourite activities in place, in line with the balance Latymer Prep School describes.
- Let the child see the format once if a school's materials allow, since Westminster Under School says familiarity may help.
For one-to-one help with verbal and non-verbal reasoning at 7+ level, read about our 7+ tutors for English, maths and reasoning, or tell us about your child and the schools on your list and we will reply with tutor recommendations.
Related guides
- 7+ tutors for English, maths and reasoning
- 7+ exam: format, schools and preparation
- 7+ past papers and practice questions
- What is assessed at 7+
- 7+ or wait for 11+
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Frequently asked questions
- What happens after the written papers at 7+?
- It depends on the school. St Paul's Prep School invites boys who perform well back for a half-day group assessment with a Maths lesson, an English lesson and a group problem-solving task, in groups of approximately ten. Latymer Prep School invites children who perform particularly well to an interview the week after assessment day, where staff talk with each child about their interests and aspirations. All Latymer candidates are told by email whether they are invited.
- Will a school give feedback on how my child did?
- Latymer Prep School gives no written or verbal feedback on a child's performance or ranking on any paper. Alleyn's says decisions on places are final, with no right of appeal, though some candidates not offered a place may be placed on a waiting list that stays active until the September after the assessments. Other schools' pages do not state a feedback policy, so ask before the assessment day.
- Do schools ask for a report from my child's current school?
- Yes, several do. St Paul's Prep School seeks a reference from the head of the boy's current school and treats applying as consent to contact it. Alleyn's writes to the current headteacher or nursery for a report, and Highgate Junior School asks for a confidential reference. UCS Junior Branch requests a confidential report that plays an important part in selection.
- Does a 7+ place affect entry to the senior school?
- The schools differ. St Paul's Prep School accepts boys on the understanding that it will be their first choice of senior school, and boys who stay for the full duration are automatically registered for transfer to St Paul's School at 13+. Alleyn's describes automatic entry to its Senior School, though junior pupils still sit the scholarship or entrance exam and are interviewed. Latymer Prep School says it would advise parents if a child might find the pace at its Upper School at 11+ challenging.
- What if my child has a learning difference?
- Notify the school in writing at registration. Alleyn's asks parents who know or suspect a disability, language or learning difference to do so in writing at registration so that access arrangements can be made. Latymer Prep School gives access arrangements to children with diagnosed special educational needs, and parents must notify it during registration. The other pages do not state an arrangement, so ask the school.
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